Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: Anarchist = one who wants all government/authority abolished.

1. Root: an- (without) + archy (rule) → "without rule".
2. Conformist follows rules; traditionalist keeps old customs; pessimist expects the worst.

Trick: -archy = rule: monarchy (one ruler), oligarchy (few), anarchy (none).

Answer: (B) Anarchist

Concept: Esoterica = things understood only by a small, specialised group.

1. Built from "esoteric" + a: E-S-O-T-E-R-I-C-A.
2. Single c, vowels o–e–i.

Trick: If you can spell "esoteric", just add "a".

Answer: (A) Esoterica

Concept: Biography = life story written by another person.

1. Autobiography = written by the person himself (auto = self).
2. Memoir = personal recollections; memorandum = official note.

Trick: bio = life, graphy = writing; add "auto" only when the writer is the subject.

Answer: (A) Biography

Concept: Use a contrast word when the result is opposite to what is expected.

1. Rigorous training should help, yet he struggled → contrast.
2. "Despite" = in spite of → correct.
3. "As a result of", "due to", "by dint of" show cause – wrong sense.

Trick: Expected ≠ actual → think Despite / In spite of / Although.

Answer: (D) Despite

Concept: "Eat crow" = to admit one was wrong and suffer embarrassment.

1. His plan failed, so he had to accept his mistake publicly.
2. It has nothing to do with real food, charity or punishment.

Yaad rakhein: Similar: "eat humble pie" – also means admitting a mistake humbly.

Answer: (D) Admit one's error and endure humiliation

Concept: Past reporting verb → backshift tense; change pronouns and "this" → "that".

1. "will have left" → "would have left"; "resign" → "resigned".
2. "You" (listeners) → they; "I" (teacher) → he; "this school" → "that school".
3. Result: The teacher said that they would have left that school before he resigned.

Trick: Quick filter: "this" must become "that" – only (D) has "that school".

Answer: (D) The teacher said that they would have left that school before he resigned.

Concept: Start with the topic sentence, then definition, effect, and conclusion.

1. 2 introduces RAM and its importance – opener.
2. 3 tells what RAM holds; 1 begins "This enables…", referring to 3.
3. 4 gives the result of too little RAM – closing line.

Trick: A sentence starting with "This" can never open a paragraph – removes option (D) at once.

Answer: (A) 2, 3, 1, 4

Concept: A noun clause used as subject takes a singular verb.

1. Subject: "That the expedition faced unforeseen challenges…" – one clause.
2. So "were evident" → "was evident".
3. Error in part (3).

Trick: Don't let the plural "challenges" fool you – the whole "That…" clause is one idea = singular.

Answer: (C) (3)

Concept: Modal passive = modal + be + V3; the modal itself does not change.

1. Object "their findings" becomes subject.
2. "may publish" → "may be published".
3. Their findings may be published by the researchers next month.

Trick: Keep the same modal: may stays may (not might/could), so (B).

Answer: (B) Their findings may be published by the researchers next month.

Concept: The verb agrees with the main noun, not with the "of…" phrase.

1. Main subject: "The sudden influx" – singular.
2. "of tourists" is only a modifier.
3. "have caused" → "has caused"; error in part (3).

Trick: Cover the "of …" phrase and the comma-phrase: "The influx … has caused".

Answer: (C) (3)

Concept: A homonym has the same form but a different meaning.

1. In the given sentence, "tenure" = period of holding a post.
2. (A), (B), (D) use it in the same sense of a term/holding (job tenure, lease tenure, land tenure).
3. In (C) it describes the sustained quality or tone of pain in art – a different meaning, so it is the homonym.

Trick: Pick the sentence where the word cannot be replaced by "term/period of holding".

Answer: (C) The sculptor captured the tenure of pain in his marble work.

Concept: "It is hoped that…" → "People hope that…"; the inner passive also becomes active.

1. "It is hoped" → "People hope".
2. "a peace agreement will be reached" → "they will reach a peace agreement".
3. Both clauses active only in (D).

Trick: Check both clauses: (A) and (B) still have "will be reached" – reject.

Answer: (D) People hope that they will reach a lasting peace agreement soon.

Concept: "Capable" takes the preposition "of" + gerund (V-ing).

1. "capable for handling of" is wrong on two counts.
2. Correct: "He is capable of handling the complex project."

Trick: Fixed pairs: capable of, able to – never "capable to" or "able of".

Answer: (A) of handling

Concept: Going back to direct speech, undo the backshift: past → present.

1. "needed" → "needs".
2. "had to be extended" → "has to be extended".
3. Both changes appear only in (A).

Trick: Both clauses must shift together – any option mixing past and present is out.

Answer: (A) The director said, "The project needs more funding, and the deadline has to be extended."

Concept: Follow the flow: introduce → method → result → application.

1. 1 introduces machine learning – opener.
2. 4 explains the training of algorithms; 2 "This enables…" follows it.
3. 3 "Consequently…" gives applications – conclusion.

Trick: Link words decide the order: "This" needs a sentence before it; "Consequently" usually comes last.

Answer: (B) 1-4-2-3

Concept: Answer from what the passage directly states.

1. Vents release mineral-rich fluids from the Earth's crust.
2. Chemosynthetic bacteria use this chemical energy and form the base of the food web.
3. No mention of shelter, oxygen for photosynthesis or sediment traps.

Trick: Look for the option that repeats the passage's key words – "mineral-rich fluids" and "chemosynthetic".

Answer: (B) They supply mineral-rich fluids that support chemosynthetic life.

Concept: Find the "long-held notion" mentioned in the passage.

1. The passage says vent life challenged the idea that sunlight was essential for biological productivity.
2. These ecosystems run on chemical energy, showing life can exist without sunlight.

Trick: Phrases like "long-held notion/belief" point straight to the answer of assumption questions.

Answer: (A) Life cannot exist without sunlight.

Concept: Locate the author's reason in the mining part of the passage.

1. The author says extracting minerals may cause permanent harm to the deep-sea habitats.
2. These ecosystems are fragile and took millennia to evolve → delicate and ancient.
3. Coastal pollution, economics and cables are not mentioned.

Trick: Reject options that bring in ideas not present in the passage (A, C, D).

Answer: (B) It threatens to destroy delicate and ancient ecosystems.

Concept: Chemo (chemical) + synthesis (making) = making food using chemical energy.

1. The passage contrasts vent life with sunlight-based life.
2. So chemosynthetic organisms produce food through chemical reactions.
3. Using light energy (A) is photosynthesis – the opposite idea here.

Trick: Split the word: photo = light, chemo = chemical; synthesis = making.

Answer: (C) Producing food through chemical reactions

Concept: The central idea must cover the whole passage, not one detail.

1. First part: unique abyssal ecosystems living on chemical energy.
2. Last part: mining threatens them; conservation must come first.
3. (C) joins both parts; (B) contradicts the passage; (A) and (D) are not its message.

Trick: For main-idea questions, choose the option that links the beginning and the ending of the passage.

Answer: (C) The abyssal plain hosts unique ecosystems that rely on chemical energy and need protection.